Bedford Falls Foundation
The Bedford Falls Foundation is a private foundation based in McLean, Virginia. Founded in 1997 by Bill Conway Jr. and Joanne Barkett Conway, it supports nursing education and health and human services organizations.
Bedford Falls Foundation at a glance
In short: Bedford Falls Foundation gave $12.6M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $662K), mostly in District of Columbia. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $12,584,006
- +58.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $662,316
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $271,152
- Total assets
- $316,233,940
- +79.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (9 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (55% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bedford Falls Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1350 Beverly Road Suite 115-122, Mclean, VA 22101
Phone: (202) 729-5285
Website: https://bedfordfallsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bedford Falls Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Trinity Washington University ($2.1M). Together the top 10 received $10.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 20 grants of 64 (31%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies Washington, D.C., and Nashua, New Hampshire, as areas where it supports health and human services organizations. Its 2025 grant dollars were distributed across multiple states; the largest reported recipient-state shares were D.C. (55%), North Carolina (10%), West Virginia (9%), Pennsylvania (7%), and Illinois (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bedford Falls Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 19 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $642K; repeat grants $681K. How we count
Medians: $250K first-time, $560K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 230% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 72% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.8M (2022) to $35.3M (2021). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $12.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity Washington University Washington, DC | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $2,100,000 |
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $2,000,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Inc Washington, DC | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $1,450,000 |
| West Virginia University Foundation Morganstown, WV | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $1,142,385 |
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation Inc Chapel Hill, NC | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $1,000,000 |
| Howard University Washington, DC | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $950,000 |
| Villanova University Villanova, PA | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $600,000 |
| Rivier University Nashua, NH | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $585,000 |
| University of Illinois Foundation Champaign, IL | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $535,500 |
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $271,152 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $316,233,940 | $275,285,562 | $13,848,444 | $12,584,006 | 19 | $13,389,891 | $19,923,010 | $18,488,654 |
| 2024 | $176,505,711 | $105,227,907 | $8,951,180 | $7,950,173 | 16 | $8,390,413 | $12,820,390 | $8,753,630 |
| 2023 | $95,082,280 | $63,470,417 | $11,677,120 | $11,218,310 | 14 | $11,601,700 | $9,770,576 | $5,123,741 |
| 2022 | $63,120,055 | $7,213,964 | $3,935,791 | $3,810,000 | 5 | $3,829,473 | $1,832,406 | $3,368,852 |
| 2021 | $61,666,880 | $84,617,094 | $35,473,444 | $35,283,000 | 10 | $35,371,376 | $668,366 | $1,272,508 |
| 2020 | $12,731,701 | $11,081,848 | $21,023,206 | $20,988,333 | 11 | — | $4,551,482 | $970,896 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bedford Falls Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s principal mission is to facilitate greater access to high-quality nursing education and support nursing schools in addressing the nursing workforce shortage. Its stated aims include reducing financial barriers to education and career advancement, supporting nursing faculty and staff, improving workforce retention and re-entry, and fostering innovations that prepare nurses for practice.
The foundation also supports health and human services organizations that provide healthcare to at-risk populations, address food and housing insecurity, and support pathways to sustainable and fulfilling employment. Examples among its 2025 grantees include the Capital Area Food Bank, whose mission is to improve equitable access to food and opportunity through community partnerships, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, which describes itself as a provider of comprehensive human services to individuals and families in need.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $12,584,006. Grants ranged from $125,000 to $2,100,000, with a median of $271,152. Its largest reported grants included $2,100,000 to Trinity Washington University, $2,000,000 to the Capital Area Food Bank, $1,450,000 to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, $1,142,385 to the West Virginia University Foundation, and $1,000,000 to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation. The filing listed each of these grants’ purpose as furthering the recipient organization’s exempt purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William E. Conway Jr. as trustee and Elizabeth Minnigh as CEO and general counsel. The foundation’s website identifies Conway as its founder and trustee.
Bedford Falls Foundation is led by Elizabeth Minnigh, CEO & General Counsel since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Minnigh
CEO & General Counsel
Executive Director → CEO & General Counsel, 2025
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William E. Conway Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Joanne Conway (2020–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Bedford Falls Foundation
How much does Bedford Falls Foundation give each year?
Bedford Falls Foundation gave $12.6M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $8.0M across 16 grants.
What is Bedford Falls Foundation's typical grant size?
Bedford Falls Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $271,152, and its average grant was $662,316, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bedford Falls Foundation that year got $642K on average.
Where does Bedford Falls Foundation give grants?
Bedford Falls Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (10%) and West Virginia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (6 grants).
Who are Bedford Falls Foundation's largest grantees?
Bedford Falls Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Trinity Washington University ($2,100,000), Capital Area Food Bank ($2,000,000) and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Inc ($1,450,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bedford Falls Foundation?
Bedford Falls Foundation reported $316.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $13.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bedford Falls Foundation fund?
The foundation’s principal mission is to facilitate greater access to high-quality nursing education and support nursing schools in addressing the nursing workforce shortage. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bedford Falls Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bedford Falls Foundation's EIN?
Bedford Falls Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6834462. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Bedford Falls Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bedford Falls Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bedford Falls Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bedford-falls-foundation-morg_bea96564d44f49f9ad9cab8257908162
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_526834462_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bedford Falls Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bedford-falls-foundation-morg_bea96564d44f49f9ad9cab8257908162},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bedford Falls Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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